I know that it is traditional to offer up rosy summaries of sterling progress achieved during the past year at Christmas time.  But being a contrarian, I’m not going to do that. Unlike previous years, 2007 was neither good nor rosy on the personal or business front. However I did learn a great deal. C’est la Vie.

I learnt that (a few) people don’t keep their promises and that a good idea on its own is worth nothing without skilled political entrepreneurship (ie. who you drink with) and a little luck. I guess 2007 was the year I didn’t get to “start a billion dollar business from the beach”. But I’m sure 2008 will bring new challenges and opportunities.

Of more concern was that with the aid of armed Police and gagging laws, as a nation we lurched a couple more steps closer to authoritarianism (remember Sleeping Dogs?) whilst on the other hand failing to protect innocent members of the public from repeat drunk drivers, child abusers and escaped violent criminals.

On the economic front, New Zealand again did not invest  in research and development at a rate sufficient to improve our poor OECD standing, because (even though we can afford to) it was not a vote winner. The actual rate of inflation for real people (with cars to run, mortgages to pay and mouths to feed) was more like 10-15%. But more of our income got swallowed up due to taxation thresholds that punish middle class families on relatively modest incomes.

In the meantime our kids are being indoctrinated at school into the racist and politically correct myth of “bi-culturalism” instead of learning English, math and science. Cultural awareness is a good thing, socially divisive dogma is not.

So with the rain pissing on my roof on a cold, grey Christmas morning, I’m starting to see why almost 30,000 Kiwis permanently left our shores for Australia in 2007. We need to turn this around!

At least it’s been fun bringing you the GeniusNet Weblog in 2007. Expect more news, info and opinion on technology, innovation and entrepreneurship in New Zealand. Expect to be challenged, don’t expect sycophancy. I like ideas, even imperfect ones, as long as we can knock them into shape together.

Now special thanks must go to those who shared comments and opinions. I look forward to hearing from you again soon. There are lots more issues to canvas in the New Year, especially with an election looming.

Have a cool Yule and a safe and profitable 2008.

Regards,

Paul